This invention relates generally to reclinable vehicle seats, and more particularly it relates to a device for a releasable arresting of a forwardly tiltable backrest of a vehicle seat. The arresting device is of the type which includes an arresting pawl pivotably supported on the seat part of the vehicle seat and engaging from behind a stationary stop connected to the seat part and being releasable from its arresting position if desired.
In a known vehicle seat, an angularly adjustable and arrestable hinged mount is arranged between the backrest and the seat part. The hinged mount part assigned to the seat part is pivotably supported on pins projecting from the seat part, whereby the other hinged mount part is rigidly connected to the backrest so that the entire hinged mount unit together with the backrest is tiltable about the pin. In the normal operative position of the backrest, the lower edge of the hinged part which is pivotably connected to the seat part bears against a stop member such as a tubular member transversing the seat part or its carrier, for example. In this manner the forces occurring during the normal usage of the seat, that means the pressures acting against the backrest part opposite the travel direction are intercepted. In order to safeguard the backrest against unintentional forward tilting, for example in case of a collision, the hinged mount part pivotably connected to the seat part is secured in its normal position by means of an arresting pawl which is hinged to the pivotable mount. This locking or arresting pawl during the normal use of the vehicle seat engages from behind a peripheral portion of the stop member which is located opposite the contact zone of the lower hinged mount. The arresting pawl defines a mouth having negatively sloping starting surfaces which enable both the free pivotable movement of the arresting pawl and its transition into a locking or an arresting position. Nonetheless, in order to prevent an unintentional releasing of the arresting pawl, the rear side of the latter opposite the bottom of its mouth is counteracted by a reinforcing cam which is pivotably supported on a pin attached to the hinged mount part connected to the seat part. A cam follower which can also be tiltably supported on the same pin as the reinforcing cam is coupled to this cam. The cam follower is spring loaded and is controllable by means of a Bowden wire and, by means of a shiftable handle arranged on the backrest, can be tilted into a released position. Since the load of the arresting pawl corresponds to that of the unilaterally clamped support, the vertical dimension of the section of the arresting pawl which is susceptible to breakage has to be dimensioned such as to withstand excessive loads and consequently a too large size of this pawl results. Moreover, too many components have to be employed for creating the arresting pawl which is capable of assuming its ready-to-close position when it is in its released position and which is reinforced in its arresting position.